Marinate the chickens in salmoriglio for at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.

Roast the chicken over indirect heat for just under an hour and a half.

The finished bird: Grill-Roasted Chicken with Lemons, Artichokes, and Eggplant

(Credit: Kimberly Hasselbrink)

My father has always been the person in our family tasked with the grilling of a whole bird. It's a ritual every year at Thanksgiving. And while a whole chicken on the grill is less daunting than a whole turkey, it's still a little out of my comfort zone. Which is funny, because roasting chicken is very much in my comfort zone.

But that's because I always forget--until I am at the grill awkwardly stacking a pile of expensive hardwood briquets--that I am not as adept at grilling as I'd like to believe. I never remember how to properly light the unwieldy charcoal chimney, or how long the charcoal takes to ready, or how to adjust the temperature.This book covered all those bases. I was instructed in the nuances of building a fire properly, maintaining its heat, and properly attending to the chicken on the grill. Chicken is so easily over- or under-cooked, especially on a barbecue where the temperature is harder to regulate, and the timing here was perfect. I appreciated these details.

The vegetables were very much in a supporting role; you could take them away and still have a fine, succulent bird that holds up on its own. But the smoky, charred flavor of the eggplant reminded me of the fact that everything is better cooked over fire. Squeezing the grilled lemon over the dish before serving is essential--it brightened everything. And if you can't find baby artichokes at the market, as I couldn't, just use full-size ones and remove the tops and choke after boiling them.

I questioned the value of making two birds at once, but after seeing the chicken almost completely devoured by four ladies in one sitting, I absolutely understand why this recipe calls for two. It's that fire-and-food thing; it makes us animals. And if you have eight hungry folks waiting for that chicken, one is never enough. --Kimberley Hasselbrink

Kimbery Hasselbrink is a photographer and food blogger based in San Francisco, currently at work on her first cookbook with Ten Speed, Vibrant. Her website, The Year in Food, has been featured on Saveur's Sites We Love, Refinery29, Food52 News, The Kitchn's Breakfast With a Blogger, Babble's Family Kitchen, Food News Journal, and Gourmet Live.